I love how comprehensive this review is; thank you so much for that! I got my dark-josefina mould CYO around the same time that you received Wren - and like you, I focus on using the the generator to create dolls that couldn't be created any other way. For this reason, I'm really grateful that they've added Kaya's mould to it, because not all indigenous people are the same skin tone as Kaya is. I agree with everyone that wishes they didn't retire hair options (style or colour) OR eye colours. I'm not sure why they got rid of amber (and seem to be replacing that with the decal light brown) from the JLY line, but how great if we could still have it as an option with the CYO? It would help justify the price more (like getting a unique mould/tone does). I'd like to see a a very very light blue/lilac/pink sort of colour added that would be appropriate for albinism - heck the lilac from that one LE girl would work, the light blue (like Kirsten's) added back, keep the darker blue (like Kit's), as well as the aqua (like Saige and MG), grey, amber -- and I don't know if folks know/remember this, but even before 26's amber, there use to be two shades of brown, the regular brown like Addy and most other dolls had, and then a nearly black dark brown that #4, Kaya, and a few others had -- I'd love to see that. So amber, brown, dark brown, separate from the decal brown. I like the very dark green they offer, and would like either a lighter pinwheel green as an option (ideally, as I don't like the decal eyes much) or at least the decal green (like Felicity's) so there's at least some variety. And Caroline's green-blue eyes (or a pinwheel version of that shade). I feel like having more options is the biggest part of the appeal of the CYO 'line' and what they don't offer, customisers will just make/get from others so it seems like a very poor business decision.

Once again another AMAZING video. As someone who doesn’t own any CYO this video is very helpful and so informative I mean you answered questions I didn’t even know I had and also asking people on AGIG for their personal experiences is such a bonus in the video and is so helpful to those who are looking into purchasing a CYO I don’t think I would ever buy one unless I found one I really liked at the benefit sale. You did a great job explaining everything so wonderfully but I’m not surprised 😉💗💗

This was an excellent video! Thank you for this! It was so informative and helpful and I agreed with almost every statement everyone shared about things that would be better fixed on the CYO generator and stuff. I still really want to make one but I'm not sure how it can be unique enough for something I'd even be somewhat interested in due to the limits. Josefina is my fav face mold too!

Thank you for including me! LOVE this video and showing comments from other collectors. I agree 💯 with what was said. Would love to have a selection of freckle patterns, a better generator and more options. I miss the bangs! Great video!

She’s so beautiful!!🖤

Awesome job Evelyn!! Loved the comparison photos and CYO thoughts. 😊❤

I really enjoyed this overview. Wren is lovely, and I'm glad that customer service did a good job of getting you a new doll when the first doll was damaged. I loved the deep dive into CYO opinions. I have one CYO that I got earlier this year, and I'm so grateful I got her when I did because she has the pixie cut. I would have been devastated if I waited to order her this summer, like I originally planned. All the issues with the generator are so true, and the poor labeling in particular gets me. I don't mind descriptions of skin tones rather than a number (possibly because I didn't get into AG until later and don't know the numbers!), but the face molds really gets me. I want to ensure I don't end up with another classic mold in my collection, and it's hard for me to figure out which of the generator images it is sometimes. But I do LOVE the new freckle pattern, and I wish they would make it more selectable like folks suggest. I'm glad they added a new face mold to the options, but I can't help but wish they hadn't started with Kaya's mold. Since it was created for a very specific cultural purpose, I'm not sure how I feel about using it from a doll who isn't Nimiipuu. I have a doll designed with the Kaya mold and I am very tempted to buy her at some point, but I haven't quite reconciled my feelings about the origin of the Kaya mold with it being in the CYO options now. I wish they had gone with a different mold to experiment with expanding the options. I got a survey back in... January, maybe?... from AG about the CYO line and definitely said that I wanted more options and the ability to create more diverse dolls, but this just leaves me feeling slightly uneasy. Thank you for this wonderful, in-depth video. It is great!

Shes so pretty! When I get the chance to order my first CYO I plan on getting a sonali mold with freckles!

Wren is SO beautiful. The light brown decal eyes really are pretty, and the josefina mold is just the best little face (hi, it’s me, josefinamoldenthusiast, though to be honest I love most of the face molds very much 😅.) The person who commented that they’d like to see different freckle patterns available- YES. That’s so exciting that they’re using a new one for Kaya mold dolls. I love dolls with freckles, and it doesn’t necessarily bother me that the majority of them use the same standard pattern, but I would love to see more variety. Also! 35 is one of my very favorite dolls in my collection so if you’re really regretting selling yours I 100% would enable you in replacing her. She’s just so cute, and her brown eyes set her apart from the rest of the strawberry blonde crew, I think.

She is very beautiful in person, very nice skin tone & eyes! The generator did not do her justice, it was just like ‘eh. I wish the price point was closer to maybe $150., $200. is pretty steep. You have a very beautiful doll though, congratulations!

Excellent video. I really learned a lot. Thank you for the beautiful comparison pictures with your other dolls. Your CYO is really pretty and I love her eyes. I hope you are happy with her. I am another blue/green eyed person so I relate to some of the comments. I hope they will add more eye colours too!

Another great video! It is so good to hear a description of the CYO creator. Personally, I think alot of AG fans are making their own custom dolls because of the lack of particular options like eye color and wigs. The one thing that really can't be done is changing the skin color of the mold you might want. Let's hope they make some changes in the future!

I think your CYO doll is beautiful!

Unsurprisingly, this is a fantastic video! So thorough and again your transitions, choice of music, speed of delivery, etc. are all spot on! Also, it was reassuring to know you weren't met with resistance when you raised your concerns about the shine mark on the first doll. The stricter return policy has been making me nervous about ordering another CYO, but it sounds like they were understanding and responsive :-) She's absolutely gorgeous!

thank you so much for sharing my opinion! great video very insightful!

Loved this! Wren is simply gorgeous! I have 2 CYO that I got in 2021. I have been so tempted to get another one but the price went up (it was a flat $200 before) and I just don't know if I can justify it right now. Especially when my dream CYO would have a Marie-Grace mold. Hope they add it someday!

Love this video and the doll is so pretty. Also I just subscribed.😁

i have some suggestions for options for the create your own generator that would make it even better: being able to choose different partings for each hairstyle: for example, left side part, right side part, middle part, no part, etc as it seems kinda limiting that most of the available hairstyles have left side parts, Oh, and bring back bangs and allow various different bangs to be compatible with different hairstyles, Like for example being able to choose full bangs, side bangs (on either side, even on both sides), no bangs, pie bangs and probably others to make it as customizable as possible. also bring back the pixie cut and wigless options. Bring back some colors and add new colors to the line. They retired the light red color a while back and I feel they should bring it back, as the colors still feel limited in some way. I feel like they should add that caramel brown-blonde color that a lot of the truly me’s have. And maybe a more sandy blonde like Courtney’s (I never thought Courtney was a redhead, her hair has always looked macaroni blonde to me) (and more dark blonde colors in general) They should probably add a warmer brown because the only brown colors we currently have in the Create Your Own line are a dark brown and just a regular brown which should be considered light brown, no medium brown in between them. And there also should be a jet black similar to the color of jly #4 and jly #11 as the black they have has a little bit of brown in it and that may not be dark enough. They should probably add more of an Auburn red, similar to Felicity’s or jly #8 or maybe Saige’s hair color. Maybe they could also add a white hair color as I really like the concept of an albino doll. As for some unnatural colors, I think they could add green as the only doll with green hair is Truly me #89. They also could add a different rainbow that's actually rainbow as the rainbow color they have now is literally cotton candy colors. As for eye colors I think it'd be cool to add the amber eyes that #26 and #62 have, oh and maybe add some variety to the hazel eyes that they have as the only hazel eyes they have available in to create your own line are a really green hazel and there are multiple varieties of hazel out there, for example a more brown hazel Like the ones on #55, a more yellow/gold hazel like Mia’s or Lea’s, a more neutral blend of hazel, a different variant of green hazel alongside it, and maybe even a blue hazel too. They could also add variations of the blue eyes that we currently don't have in the create your own such as Caroline’s mint decal eyes, Or Saige’s turquoise eyes, or Marie Grace's aquamarine eyes and also bring back the light blue color as well. They could also add the Laser Green eyes seen on Felicity and some of the early Girl of Today dolls. It could also be cool for some fantasy eye colors like purple or red. And maybe pink/red could be great for making an albino doll as well. As for skin colors they could add 2 extra ones maybe a new darkest skin and call it #40 and maybe a new lightest skin tone and maybe call it #1 or #0 and, It could also be good for making an albino doll ( Maybe it can be introduced with an albino girl of the year or something) It could also be cool if you could actually pick the freckle patterns your create your own actually has, as I've seen photos showing that they do have different freckle patterns. As for face molds they really should just call them by their actual names. For new molds, they could introduce maybe the Nanea mold and the Marie Grace mold As those are now being used by American Girl for other dolls.

I have 84 and she’s gorgeous but does she’s quite a bit. Wren is beautiful though! I really appreciate this vid ❤

I enjoyed your video. It was very informative. Your CYP doll is gorgeous.

This was wonderful. She is gorgeous and I'm so glad they sent you a replacement. I completely agree with all of the comments about more face molds (Nanea, MG, Joss, etc), more eye colors (light blue, dark blue, aquamarine, etc), different freckle patterns (how hard would that be to offer more??), using the color numbers for skin tones (why do they only use color numbers for Truly Me - it would be so nice to know what the Historicals and GOTYs are as well) and how unrealistic the dolls look when you create them. I am quite sure they have the technology to make them look more accurate. AG, are you listening?? I hope so!

Thank you for featuring me (nerdys_dollcorner)! I really like cyos but I can't justify the price- maybe for Christmas but even then I'm iffy. But, I will be ordering Camryn one day- my Kaya cyo! Overall, I get why the price is the way it is, but I feel we need more features and options to make it feel 100% worth it.

WOWWEE‼️ How interesting of a video,I loved it🤗.AG is nothing like it use to be,since Mattel bought it.I think when it was owned by Pleasant Company it was was kewler😊.That said i find the CYO very difficult to create the doll that actually look's like me😮.Their isn't enough choices to create a doll that really look's like me😢.Anyway i thankyou for such a Great❤video😊. Best wishes, Lisa

$220 IS expensive, but if you sign up for their emails to get 15% off, you can get it for less. That’s what I did. It came to $187. Still expensive, but worth it to be able to customize it.

Love, love, LOVE! This video! It cleared up so many questions I had about the CYO and couldn't find any answers on Google! Does the hole for the hearing aide bother you at all? Or is it barely noticeable?

I think you’re right about the very long wavy wigs abnormally shedding... My Maritza doll sheds every time I brush her hair no matter how lightly and gently I brush, it’s so frustrating.

I agree with you about the CYO generator not being accurate, when I ordered mine he was a little different then the photo. I got my first CYO Back in December 2018 or 2019, she is a medium skin Sonali with long black hair with bangs and has dark blue eyes. I would like to get another 1, but for $220 for a doll? I know they are custom made but still, that's expensive. I'm Hoping to get a job soon so I can afford 1 but. we will see. Also, why did they remove the wigs with bang, dark blue and light red hair? the next CYO I wanted to get I wanted with light red hair with bangs and dark blue eyes and I wish they would add the Joss, number 4, Marie-Grace, and the Corrine and the Nanea mold. I hope they can add us an option to make a CYO Wellie Wisher and that would be great!!!!!

I have thought about getting a CYO but I think the cost is to much I have not really navigated the generator to have a strong opinion. Your pictures are beautiful

10:16 which girl is on the left? She's so pretty. If she's a custom, what is the hair color and style? Green eyes? Josephina face?

I have an older doll with the long, wavy hair (Saige, GOTY 2013) and I've never noticed any shedding from her wig. I wonder if it's the newer wavy wigs that are the problem...

Here's another option for CYO: Caramel hair. I don't know why they use Caramel hair as a CYO hair color option. P.S. My American Girl doll has light red hair.

Actually people with albinism having pink or red eyes is a common myth and stereotype. most people with albinism have blue eyes, and some have hazel or brown eyes.

What did you spray in her hair?

Oh god please no pink and purple eyes 😂